1- Becca Coleman: What is Art?

I had difficulty composing this entry because the more I tried to define art, the more expansive I found the definition to be. Art can be anything.
It can be, and often is, the product of an artist's creative expression, but from the viewer's perspective it can be so much more. The designer of a simple kitchen chair may not think of her product as art, but someone viewing it in a furniture store might. Or the chair might end up in a art museum exhibit on furniture 50 years after it was made and the museum goers would, most likely, not think twice about whether or not it was art (as they were viewing it in an art museum). Basically, art is anything anyone decides to call art, whether it is the artist or the viewer.
During our discussions I think we need to make sure to keep in mind the distinction between art and visual art because I consider art to include not only drawing, painting, etc but also writing, dance, and music.
Here is a photo of one of my students holding up a piece of his self-proclaimed artwork. Both the photo itself and the "E" drawing are art.